Once Upon an October Night
by Cielita
Summary: Story set at the beginning of Sorcerer's Stone. Minerva puts her foot down. Happy Birthday Sky!
1. Now or Never

**_Once Upon an October Night_**

            It was chilly.  Unusually cold for October.  Minerva McGonagall watched as her breath rose in puffs from her mouth and nose.  She listened as Professor Dumbledore explained the situation.  The Potters were dead, their son had lived, Voldemort had perished, and now Hagrid was transporting the most precious cargo in the magical world to them at this very moment to be left with the most terrible example of muggles that Minerva had ever seen.  She knew, she had been observing them for nearly a week.  

            The man of the house sold drills for a living.  Drills.  Of all things.  His wife, supposedly beautiful Lily's sister, was a tall, lanky, snooty woman who cared more about what the neighbors were thinking than what was best for her family.  Minerva shuddered a bit as she thought of these people's own child, the infant Dudley.  The parents doted on him like no other parent in the UK possibly could, and it made Minerva sick.  

            Slowly, her awareness returned to what Albus was saying to her and then the thunder of a motorcycle engine brought her, full throttle, back to reality.  Vaguely, she registered what Hagrid was saying, and then she saw it, the tiny, well wrapped bundle that Hagrid produced from his pack.  Gently, Albus took the baby from Hagrid's arms.  A warmth flooded her heart as she watched Dumbledore with the child.  A fond, gentle smile graced his wise features as he softly spoke to Minerva and Hagrid.  

            Minerva had tried to reason with Albus, tried to tell him that these people, these Dursleys, were the most awful people she had ever seen—hardly parental material for baby Harry—but Albus had interrupted her, striking a nerve in her already sensitive mood.  Albus laid the baby on the porch and stood again.  Minerva looked down at Harry.  Tiny, innocent, weary little Harry.  The lump in Minerva's throat couldn't get any bigger without bursting.  It was now or never.

            "No, Albus," Minerva said, lifting the baby into her arms.  Her blue eyes wide in desperation, "I won't leave him here with these…these…muggles."  Albus looked sympathetically at his deputy headmistress.  She hated that look sometimes.  Especially now, when she was in one of those moods where she could at any time do something she might regret in the morning.  

            "Minerva, we talked about this.  Harry's place is with his family, and the Dursley's are the only family he has," said Dumbledore, lightly touching Minerva's shoulder.  She jerked away, clutching the baby to her.  He seemed so fragile in the cool night air.  She looked down at him, his long eyelashes resting on cherub cheeks and tousled brown hair covering his lightning bolt scar.  She pulled the blanket over his face a bit; he shouldn't be breathing all that cold air.  

            "It's not like you to be like this, Minerva.  You can't expect yourself to--" Albus was cut off by the look in Minerva's eyes.  He knew what she was thinking. 

            "I can!  I'll raise him myself!  Albus, this boy will be famous.  There won't be a child in our world who doesn't know his name!  He deserves to be raised by his own kind!" Minerva cried.  

            "Hush, Minerva, you'll wake them!" Albus said softly, gently gesturing toward the Dursley's bedroom window.  

            "Don't you hush me!" she whimpered, desperate passion wild in her eyes, "He doesn't deserve this!"  She was starting to cry now, tears falling down her cheeks.  Hagrid could only stand and watch them.  On one hand, he wanted to follow Dumbledore's instructions and follow through with the plan, but on the other, his heart desperately wanted to defend Professor McGonagall and keep the little Potter with his own kind…wizard kind.  Presently, Professor Dumbledore wrapped his hands around Minerva's shoulders from where he stood behind her.  She was sniffling, most likely still crying, and Dumbledore was running out of excuses…and time.  

            "He deserves better…" muttered Minerva, the wide-brimmed hat on her head casting a shadow from the only light present, the one on the Dursley's porch as she wept.  

            "I know, Minerva," Dumbledore said gently.  He knew that there was no use in arguing with her anymore.  Once Minerva McGonagall had her mind made up on something, it was game over.  

            "He deserves to be *sniff* with someone who will love him," Minerva whimpered, "He deserves *sniff* to be loved."

            "Are you certain about this, Minerva?  You know the responsibility you take upon yourself tonight?" Albus said near Minerva's ear.  She nodded, still looking at the sleeping baby.  

            "I'll raise him myself," Minerva repeated, more softly this time.  Albus lightly kissed Minerva's shoulder and stroked Harry's smooth baby forehead before he instructed Hagrid to return to Hogwart's.  

            "Professor McGonagall and I will be needing a portkey," he said, gently shepherding Minerva away from the porch.  Minerva breathed a deep breath.  She had won.  Baby Harry was safe.  


	2. Impromptu Baby Shower

That night, when they arrived at Hogwart's, Minerva walked alone up the length of corridor that led to her quarters.  Her heels clicked quietly on the stone floors as she walked.  It was starting to dawn on her that she not even prepared for this.  She had nothing in her room necessary for the care of a baby.  She hadn't even thought of all of the things she would now need.  When Minerva walked into her room, she was unprepared for what she saw.  Beside her dresser there was a small wardrobe, and beside that, a changing table.  Minerva carefully laid Harry down on her bed before going over to inspect them.  The wardrobe door was open a crack, and inside, neatly folded or hung, were various jumpers and outfits for the baby.  The compartments in the changing table held everything she would need for that purpose, as well as a baby bath tub, towels, washcloths, and even a rubber duck.  Minerva turned this over in her hands for a moment.  She would have to ask the muggle studies teacher exactly what the purpose of this object was.  Whoever heard of such a thing?  She turned and on the other side of her bed was a beautiful, sturdy, hand-made wooden crib.  The dark finish matched the finish of her bed, and the soft linens inside looked and felt snug and warm.  Minerva was stunned.  

            "Well, Minerva?" said a familiar voice.  Poppy Pomfrey walked softly into the room, carrying a baby bottle in one hand, and her black healer's bag in another.  

            "Where did all of this come from?" Minerva asked, still in vague disbelief.  

            "Albus sent an owl ahead of you to let me know that you were on your way back—with Harry.  We wanted to be prepared," Poppy replied.  

            "We?" Minerva said.

            "Of course!  You didn't expect your three best friends to leave you high and dry, did you?" Poppy said, tapping the bottle to remove the air bubbles and handing it to Minerva.  It had been warmed and everything.  Minerva folded back the blankets that Harry had been wrapped in and took him into her arms, beginning to smile a bit as she fed him for the first time.  As Minerva did this, Poppy gently leaned across and checked the baby over, just to make sure that everything was okay.  The poor thing had been though quite the trauma, after all.  

            "Did you like the rubber duck?  It was my idea!" said Hannah Hooch, coming stealthily into the room.  Minerva looked up and smiled.

            "I'm not quite sure what purpose it is supposed to fulfill, but, it is, well, cute," Minerva said.  

            "It's a toy for Harry to play with in the bath tub!" Rolanda said, giving the toy a little squeeze.  The three women laughed as it emitted a high pitched squeak.  

            "Hannah, wherever did you find such a thing?" asked Stella Sprout, shaking her head as she softly shut the door behind her.  

            "I went to one of those muggle stores with Severus.  Wal-Mart, I think it was called.  He lost a bet with another professor and had to go and retrieve something horribly embarrassing.  I went along and when I saw the rubber duck, I thought of Harry.  I suppose you could say that the duck is from me *and* Severus!" said Hannah.  Again, the women were laughing.  

            "So, we threw you an impromptu baby shower before you got here.  If you promise not to tell, Albus picked out the crib," said Stella.  Minerva smiled at her friends.  They had been with her longer than anyone, and she was so grateful.  She felt a bit sorry for Severus Snape though.  The new Potions master this year, fresh out of professor's school.  She remembered when Severus was only a student himself, and now he was teaching.  He had grown so much.  She just wished that the staff would be a bit gentler with him.  She and Dumbledore were really the only ones that knew what was really behind his darkness and mood.  

            After they had finished inspecting and feeding Harry, all three of Minerva's closest friends helped bathe and dress him and place him in his new bed.  Harry looked up at them with wonder.  His shiny green eyes were drooping a bit.  Minerva covered him a bit with the blanket and softly stroked his head.  This made him yawn and emit several soft baby sounds as he began to drift off.  In her softest singing voice, Minerva began to sing.  Poppy recognized the song and began to sing a third higher, following along in perfect harmony.  Hannah joined them three measures later, and then, reluctantly but prompted by her friends, Stella joined them, and on this, Harry's first night at Hogwart's, he fell asleep with the sound of perfect four-part harmony ringing in his perfect ears.  


End file.
